Public Statements

House Passes FARRM Act, Provides Certainty for America's Farmers

Press Release

Washington, D.C. -- Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Conference Report to H.R. 2642, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act of 2013 (FARRM Act). The legislation includes $16.6 billion in net savings and provides long term stability for our nation's agriculture industry.

"In addition to giving Pennsylvania's farmers the certainty they need, the FARRM Act repeals outdated direct payments, strengthens crop insurance to reduce the need for federal disaster aid, consolidates 23 duplicative and overlapping programs down to 13, and offers new farmers and small businesses access to critical capital and training," Marino said. "It also implements an insurance program that is critical for dairy farmers in my district that will help them cope with high grain prices and market instability."

"Additionally, I am very pleased that language was included in the Conference Report to federally criminalize attending or causing a minor to attend an animal fighting venture," Marino said.

In both the 112th and 113th Congresses, Marino introduced the Animal Fighting Spectator Prohibition Act, legislation to amend the Animal Welfare Act to make it a crime for a person to knowingly attend -- or cause a minor to attend -- an animal fighting venture. This language will prevent organizers of illegal animal fights from being able to avoid prosecution by merely claiming to be attendants, not organizers.

The FARRM Act also included reforms to the federal food stamp program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

"Although we were unable to separate the federal food stamp program from the underlying legislation, the conference report takes us in the right direction. This legislation includes the first reforms made to SNAP since 1996," Marino added.

The FARRM Act prohibits government-sponsored recruitment activities for SNAP, eliminates state bonuses for increased SNAP enrollees, and establishes a pilot program to engage able-bodied adults without dependents in mandatory work training programs in order to receive SNAP benefits. Additionally, the legislation authorizes $5,000,000 per fiscal year for the U.S Department of Agriculture to prevent trafficking violations within SNAP.